Charge forming and positioning apparatus



IVI. FOGDE AND L. P. 5,'0UTHWICK.v

CHARGE FORMTNG AND PosTTToNTNG APPARATUS.

APPLCATION FILED MAYZS, 1919. Patented Dec, 27, 1192K,

AUMBS' INVENToR ATTORNEYS gia/ k 13C MATELAS FOGDE AND LAWRENCE P. SOUTIIWICK, OF 'RICHMOND VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOBS, :BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 STORES & SMITH COMPANY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA,

GE FORMING AND POSITIONING APPARATUS.

Application led May 23,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, MATHIAS FoGDE vand LAWRENCE P. SOUTHWICK, respectively a subject of the Government of Russia anda citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Charge Forming and Positioning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in charge forming and positioning apparatus.. and pertains more particularly to apparatus operative to automatically produce a charge of'multi-unit character for work-performing apparatus.

While the invention is not limited in use to charges of multi-unit character-being applicable for use in connection with single units-it is especially adapted for multiunit service and particularly where the operations of the work-performing apparatusv are of the nature of gang operations. Nor is the invention limited to use in connection with any particular type 0f workperforming apparatus or character of unit.

For the purposeof explaining the invention, however, we have shown it as employed in the production of charges formed of individual packages, such for instance as cigarette packages, the work to be performed on the charge being that of applying the usual revenue stamp to each ofthe units of the charge. For instance, the apparatus-may be employed in producing the-charges for the ap aratus disclosed inthe patent granted to us Bctober 23, 1917, No. 1,244,438, an apparatus designed to locate a succession of units-forming a charge-at redetermined points relative t0 stamp-aplilying mechanism, the operation of which serves to ,pro-

vide a stamp individually to each of the 5 units of the charge, disclosure of the patent being designed to employ a charge of ten units to which a corresponding number of stamps are applied concurrently.

As will be understood, the presentation of a charge formed 'of a number of units of this type -to a mechanism operative concurrently on all of the units requires that the units be presented concurrently rather than successively in order that the apparatus operation be not unduly delayed; in

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Dec. 27, 1921. 1919. -Serial No. 299,286.

other words, that the units of the charge be presented 'in a manner similar to that of a single unit, in order that the normal cycle of operation of the work-performing apparatus may not. be effected in such manner as to decrease the 'capacity of the apparatus. Obviously, these conditions present a number of lproblems of maintaining the supply of units for the formation of charges, since each charge takes from the supply a number of units equal to the number -contained in the charge-ten, in the partlcular apparatus referred to.

In addition, units of the type indicatedlcigarette boxes for instanceare of dimensions such as to make it more or less dificult to maintain the supply owing to the space requirements Where the attempt is made to position each unit in a charge in such manner as 'to permit the application of the stamp onto an end of the uni* and especially where .the stamp extends onto both sides of the unit when applied, an arrangement which practically requires that the unit be stood on an end during the stamp applying operation. And the diiiculties present will be further` appreciated from the fact that stamping mechanism of vthis general type has a capacity such as will take care of the product of a number of machines operative to produce the supply itself.

The present invention is designed to meet these problems and to make possible the forming and positioning of a multi-unit charge at the presenting mechanism of the work-performing apparatus in a simple and efficient manner 4and in such a way as to permit the supply to be maintained without the use of special care or expert assistance.

These ends are obtained by providing the supply in the form of superposed rows of units arranged in flatwise contact, the units having their direction of length extending more or less horizontal with one end in advance, each rofw containing a number of -units corresponding to the number adapted onto the units previously located in the charge reservoir.

rllhe charge reservoir is located relative to a suitable presenting mechanism in such way that advance of the lower row of the reservoir carries the units of that row in the direction 'of the position of the presenting means, and the structure is so arranged that each unit is shifted from the horizontal to the vertical during this advance movement, this being provided by what may be considered a stage operation, although the mechanism employed produces the two-stage operation during a single cycle of its movement. The mechanism thus locates all ofthe units in their proper positions relative to each other, so that the presenting mechanism can advance them bodily and concurrently as a charge to the work-performing apparatus. To this and other ends, the nature of which will be readilyunderstood as the invention is hereinafter disclosed, said invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

lln the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters represent similar parts in each of the views, A

Figure l is a vertical section taken through a simple form of apparatus adapted for use for the purpose indicated, the view showing the parts at an intermediate stage of the general operation.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in a different position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view, the section plane being just above and parallel to the plunger 13. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a filling tray.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective section of the unit advancing element.

A indicates a frame element which may be individual to the structure of the present inpreferred, however, to have a length suffivention, but which is preferably a part of the general frame work of the work-performing apparatus, the frame element having suitable guides on its upper face adapted to control the movement of a presenting element a which may be of any suitable design and which may include a vertically extending finger or other element a. Member a may, for instance, be in the form of an endless belt intermittently driven with a suitable number of elements a properly positioned thereon, or said member may be inv on more than a single plane on a vertical section of the wall, the upper portion of the wall, indicated at 11a, being shown as inclined outwardly-relative to the major portion of the remainder of the wall which eX- tends substantially in a vertical plane.

rllhe reservoir for the units is indicated at 12 being supported on frame A in suitable manner and preferably arranged slightly inclined to the vertical, the upper end projecting forward. The frame of the reservoir may be of any' suitable structural formation with the front wall closed and the rear wall open at a point removed from-thc bottom of the reservoir, the latter having a suitable plate 121L secured at the rear at the bottom of the reservoir so that this lplate and the front wall will provide a chute-like formation at the bottom of the reservoir and of a depth suiiicient to accommodate several rows-as for instance, four-of the units. The bottom of the receptacle is provided by a plate 12b, and both the front and the rear walls of the reservoir are cut away adjacent plate 12b, a distance substantially equal to or slightly in excess of the thickness of a unit, as shown for instance in Fig. 2.

Plate 12b extends forwardly beyond the face of the reservoir and to a position adjacent wall 11, the upper face of the plate being preferably a slight distance above the top planeV of said wall, thus providing a support for an advancing unit and at the same time permitting the delivery of the unit from the plate onto the inclined face 11a 'of the wall. The openings in the front and rear walls of the ,reservoir have .a length not less than the total length of the number of units which are to be concurrently delivered.

As heretofore set forth, the charge is .formed by advancing the lower row of units from the reservoir, and this action -is' obtained by the use of an element 13-which may be considered as a plunger-and which may be of any desired construction, it being cient to provide a face active on each of the units of the lower row. lin the particular structure disclosed, this element is shown as in the 'form of a plate, the advance edge of which is preferably inclined rearwardly toward the top plane of the plate; this inclination may be provided by a straight or a curved surface as may -be found desirable, the arrangement being preferably such, however, that a lower portion o f the plate be active in advancing the units, tl1is arrangement being preferred for apurpose presently described. The plate may be mounted in any suitable manner as, for instance, in guides 12, and is adapted to be reciprocated in the direction of advance of the units. This reciprocating action may be provided in anysuitable manner, the drawings indiamount of projection has reached a point cating a suitable member 14 secured to the under face of the plate 13 and mounted on one or more guides 15. Member 14 is provided with an elongated slot V16 within which a'projection-which may be in the for'm of a roller 16a-carried by an `arm 17 operates,

said arm being carried by a shaft 17.a ro-V tatable in suitable manner from a suitable source. As shaft 17a' rotates, the pivotal movement of arm 17 causes member 13 to reciprocate back and forth over the top of plate 12b.

Fig. 2 indicates the position of member 13 at the beginning of itsQadvancin'g movement, it being seen that the advance portion of said member contacts with each of the units contained in the lower row of the reservoir; while but a portion of the member is in contact with the unit, it will be understood that the latter will be advanced in a straight path by reason of the fact that the superposed rows will tend to prevent the units of the lower rows of being raised from od of plate 121?. Therefore, as member 13 advances, the lower row of units is advanced correspondingly, the result being that lthe units will be advanced to project beyond the forward face of plate 12", and when the where the greater portion of the weight of a unit is unsupported by plate 12b, the preponderance of weight will cause each unit to tend to fallofl' of the plate. This falling off action is permitted by reason of the particular configuration of the advance facel -of member 13, it being readily understood that the receding face formation will freely permit the rear end of the unit to shift vertically at this time although member 13 is continuing its advancing movement. As a result, the units change their direction from the approximate horizontal to the inclined position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, restin upon the inclined face 11a, and being he d from dropping into vertical position by reason of contact with the inner face of wall 10 on the opposite side of the trough.

As, however, member 13 continues its ad- Vance, the advance face of the member againA becomes active on the canted units and pushes the rear portionsv of the vunits forwardly` by reason of Contact with the under side` of the unit, the result being that a point 4is reached where the support providedv by wall 10 becomes ineffective and the` units drop onto the positioning element a with the direction of length of the unit -extending vertically as in dotted lines in Fig. 1. i

While these movements of the unit have served to change its position from the approximate horizontal to the vertical, the movements'have all been in the same vertical plane, with the result that the close relation of adjacent units in the reservoir is maintained when deliveredto the presenting elegment, so that -fnger af" may be in close proximity 'to the path of travel of positioned the unit with which it contacts during the presenting .operation without liabillty of preventing the free positioning of the unit.

Hence, the positions of the units relative to each other is practically maintained and assurance will be had that the units ofthe charge will be located in their proper positions in the work-performing apparatus by the advancing movementsof the presenting mechanism.

As will be vreadily understood, the advance of member'l places it as the temporary support of the remainder of. the` voir, the capacity conditions practically re-k quiring that more than a singleoperator will be required to maintain the supply within the reservoir.

To meet this condition, we prefer to employ a filling tray, such vfor instance, as is shown in Fig. 4, 1n whicha shallow tray 18 is employed, this tray havlng dlmenslons to receive in rows the number of units con' tained in a row. of the reservoir and having a suitable height suflicent to permit of the stacking up of a considerable number of rows. The tray is provided with a false bottom 19 against which an end of each unit is stacked, and the member is also preferably provided with aprojection 18a at its lower front edge,

'this' projection being ada ted to seat in recess 12*i of plate 12, y

as s own indotted linesin Figzl, the proj ection and recess operating to properly .lo- Acate the open front vof the -filling tray with respect to the rear open face of the reservoir, the result being that when so posi@ tioned, the false -bottom can be advanced and thus locate the rows of the filling' tray in their pro r positions in the reservoir, 1t being readill); lower row is theone removed, it is neces sary .only to add succeeding rows at the top.

Since there is no expertness required in stacking up the units in the filling tray,- it will, be readily understood that cheap labor may be employed for this particular purpose and several'trays may be in use concurrently by dierent laborers in' this stacking up operation, thus maintaining the sup- 'understood that since the.

ply of units in the reservoir without attempting to produce the individual stacking directly in the reservoir itself..

As will be apparent, an apparatus such as disclosed herein, when utilized in connection with work-performing apparatus adapted to operate on'a multiplicity of units concurrently, provides for high capacity conditions even though the work-performing apparatus is operative at comparatively low speed. For instance, if the work-performing apparatus is operating under capacity conditions of 40 operations per minute, it will be readily understood that the actual capacity is 400 per minute, and under such conditions thel question of maintenance of supply is a conslderable problem because of thel inability of a number of operatives to work concurrently in connection with the reservoir. l

As will be readily understood, the invention is of simple character and is of few parts; therefore, the cost of construction and maintenance is relatively small. At the same time, the simplicity is such as to reduce liability of derangement, so that assurance is practically had of continuous operation with each charge properly formed and located relative to the presenting mechanism in a, simple and eiiicient manner.

While plate 12b and element 13 may be of any desired construction, we prefer to employ an arrangement such as is disclosed in the drawings, in which the upper face of plate 12b is provided with a plurality of grooves 12 which are adapted to receive complemental tongues 13a; since the grooves extend to the top plane of the plate, it will .be understood that the actual supporting surface for the units is in the form of spaced faces, thusreducing the amount of friction between the units and the plate in the advancing movement of the units; obviously, the plurality of tongues and grooves will tend to prevent any canting action of element 13 as .the latter is reciprocating, and hence there is less likelihood of any binding of the element to aect the elements oper ation.

In addition, we prefer to provide the advance face of element 13 with a gene-ral configuration such as is indicated in Fig. '5. As' shown, this face is inclined rearwardly from an intermediate point, while that portion below such point extends' on dierent planes to form what may be termed two noses 13b and 13, the latter proiecting in advance of the former, but being located as a part of the tongue formation 13a.

As will be understood, the part ofelement 13 which is normally active inthe advanc- `ing of the unit is that located above the top plane of the tongues, and this includes portions of both of the noses.y When, however, element 13 advances toa point where the Leones? tongues begin 'to pass out of the advance ends of the grooves, the several noses 13 become effective in producing the falling oif action should this action havebeen delayed for any reason during the advancing movement. Normally the falling 0H' action takes place without bringing the tongue portions of nose 13 into action, but this nose, being located on a lower plane than the active porthat the particular construction and viewsdisclosed are more or less illustrative, and that changes or modifications therein may be found desirable or essential to meet the exigencias of use; therefore, we desire to be understood as reserving the right to make any or all such changes or modifications therein asv may be found desirable or necessary inso far as the same may fall within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as expressed in the accompanying claims when broadly construed. y

What we claim is:

1. As a means for forming and positioning a charge consisting of a plurality of similar units relative to acharge presenting mechanism, a reservoir for the charge units and having a bottom on which the face of the charge is seated, a trough for receiving thev charge, said trough having an element ofthe presenting mechanism as its bottom, and meansfor delivering the'charge from the reservoir to a position within the trough, and with a charge face seated on the presenting element, said means being operative to temporarily render the charge subject'to. ravi- `tation to place a dierent face of the o arge as the seated face. A

2. As a means for forming and` positioning a charge relative to a 'charge presenting mechanism and wherein each charge consists of a plurality of similar units, a reservoir for a multiplicity of charges and in which the units of the charge to be delivered are in parallelism and seated on the reservoir bottom with corresponding unit portions in advance, means for bodily advancing the units of the charge to be delivered concurrently, with relative positions of the advance portions -of the units maintained, .and a trough positioned to receive said advancing units, said trough including air element of the presenting mechanism as the trough bottom, the position of the trough being such as to permit the advancing units to gravitate thereinto with the advance portions of the ias units positioned as the seating face of the positioned charge.

3'. As a means for forming and positioning a charge relative to a charge presenting mechanism and wherein the charge comprises a plurality of charge units', a reservoir for a multiplicity of units and in which the units of the charge to be delivered are in parallelism andseated on the reservoir bottom with corresponding unit portions in advance, means for bodily advancing the units of the charge to be delivered concurrently, with relative positions of the advance portions of the units maintained, and a trough Apositioned to receive said advancing units, said trough including an element of the presenting mechanism as the trough bottom, said trough having a wall configuration in cross-section adapted to provide a temporary support for the advanced units, the temporarily supported units being shiftable from such position by the continued advance of said advancing means.,

4. As a means for forming and positioning a charge relative to a charge presenting mechanism and wherein the charge comprises a plurality of charge units, a reservoir for a multiplicity of units and in which the units of the charge to lbe delivered .are in parallelism and seated on the reservoir bottom with corresponding unit portions in advance, means for bodily advancing the units of the charge to be delivered concurrently, with relative positions of the advance portions of the units maintained, and a trough positioned toreceive said advancing units, said trough including an element of the presenting mechanism as the trough bottom, said trough being .positioned relative to the reservoir bottomfas to permit gravitation of the advancing units at an intermediate point in the advancing movement of said advancing means, said trough o having its side walls relatively formed to produce a temporary support for the gravitating units, the continuing movement ofthe .advancing means being operative to shift the supported units from the temporarily supported position to permit completion of the gravitation movement.

. prises a plurality of charge units, a reserbottom, said trough being positioned relative to the reservoir bottom as to, permit gravitation of the advancing units at an mtermediate point in the advancing movement of said advancing means, said trough including a side wall having a substantially vertical face and an opposing wall having a face portion inclined outwardly from the vertical on cross-sections of the trough, said configurations being eii'ective to produce a` temporary supporting action to the gravitating units, the continuing advance of the advancing means being operative to shift the units from such temporary supporting position and permit completion of the gravltation action.

6. As a means for forming and positioning a charge relative to a charge presenting mechanism and wherein the charge oomprlses a plurality Aol charge units, a reserv'oir for a multiplicity of units and in which the units of the charge to be'delivered are in parallelism and seated on the reservoir 4 'bottom with corresponding unit portions in advance, means for bodily advancing the units of the charge to be delivered concurtrough bottom, said trough being positioned to permit advancing units to gravitate thereinto.

7 As a means for forming and positioning a charge relative to a charge presenting' mechanism and wherein a charge embodies ya plurality of charge units, a reservoir for a multiplicity of units extendingin parallel rows, means for removing the units of. a

row concurrently as a charge and deliver- -ing the charge to the presenting mechanism, `said means being operative periodically to provide'a succession of char e presentings, said reservoir having a partially open side with the dimensions of' such open side adapted to receive a plurality of such rows concurrently, said reservoir also having a wall adjacent its bottom and forming a boundary of such open side, and means for maintaining the supply of units in the reservoir, said latter means comprising a lling tray having an open side and having means complemental to said reservoir to position the tray relative to the reservoir to temporarly provide a unit-receiving compartment including both elements, said filling tray also having a movable bottom adapted to permit individual location of units. withinthecharge from the supporting to the transporting means, said propelling means having a portion contacting with Vthe charge to propel it into an intermediate position rela'- tive to the transporting means and a second surface for finally locating the charge on said transporting means.-

9. ln a charge positioning device, means 'for supporting a charge, means for propelling the charge into' operative position, sald means including a propelling member having an upper face initially active to propel the charge and a lower face subsequently becoming active to complete the positioning of the charge.

. 10. In a charge positioning device, grooved ineans for supportlnga charge' and a propelling member having tongues' slidable in said grooves and adapted to propel the A charge into operative position, the portion of the propelling memberabove said grooves operating to initially propel the charge and ,the portion located in rthe grooves operating subsequently to complete the' location of the charge in operative position, amagazine for a plurality of charges, and a conveyer 'moving in a transverse direction relative to the propelling member and arranged to receive successive charges advanced by the propelling member. i y

11. In a charge positioning device, a magazine for holding a plurality of charges, a magazine refilling device having positioning means for engaging the magazine and means carriedby the refilling device for transferring charges carried thereby to the magazine.

12. A charge positioning device comprising a holder for a plurality of superposed rows, each consisting of a plurality of similar, approximately fiat articles, a support yfor the bottom row, a pusher for removing successive bottom rows one at a time and advancing the row, a conveyer moving transversely to the direction of pusher movement and arranged to receive the successively ad-4 vancing rows of articles, and means coperating with the pusher for tipping all the articles of the advancing row simultaneously and delivering them on the conveyer in uniform row arrangement different from the position which they occupied in the holder.

13. A charge positioning device comprising a holder for a plurality of superposed rows each consisting 'ofv a plurality'of similar articles, a support for the Ibottom row, a pusher for removing successive bottom rows, one at a time and advancing theI row,

Leonesa a conveyer moving substantially at a right angle to the direction of pusher movement and arranged to receive the successive rows of articles, an inclined member arranged to support and deliver the articles in the row in a part-rotative advancing movement toward the conveyer, and another guide member -cooperating with the pusher to complete substantially a one quarter turn of the article row and deliver it in that position upon the conveyer.

14. A charge positioning device comprising a holder adapted to contain a plurality of vertically superposed rows, each consisting of a plurality of similar articles, the articles in each row being similarly arranged inA an approximately flat horizontal position, asupport for the bottom row, a pusher for removing successive bottom rows and advancing the rows without change of position of the ,articles in the advancing row with relation to each other, a conveyer moving substantially at a right angle to the direction of pusher movement, and means cooperating with the pusher for delivering therow of articles to 'the conveyer in sub` stantially upright, vertical position.

15. In a charge holding. and feeding device, a magazine for a plurality of horizontally superposed rows of Substantially flat anticles, means for feeding successive rows of articles from the bottom of the magazine, and filling means `comprising a filling tray, a movable platen ltherein, the tray being adapted to hold a plurality of rows of articles in similar arrangement to the arrangement of the -articles in the magazine and resting a ainst the platen, the tray having an .open ace adapted to register withan opening in the magazine for the discharge of iftls contents simultaneously into the magazine by advance movement of the platen.

.16. In a charge holding and feeding device., a magazine for a plurality of horizontally superposed rows of substantially flat articles, means for feeding' successive rows of articles from Ithe bottom of the magazine, and fillin means comprising a filling tray, a movab e platen, therein, the. tray being adapted to hold a plurality of rows of articles in similar arrangement to the arrangement of articles in the magazine and resting a'gainstthe platen, the tray having an open face adapted to register with an opening in the magazine for the vdischarge of its contents simultaneously into the magazine by advance movement of the platen,

the magazine and ltray having coperatlng means to register the; tray in relation to the magazine.

ln testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

MATHIAS FOGDE.v LAWRENCE P. SO'UTHWICK. 

